Many modern workplaces now offer corporate catering — a wide-reaching term that encompasses services and solutions that provide in-office meals for today’s teams. Corporate catering programs can comprise food for one-off office events, such as holiday parties and company gatherings; feeding teams on a regular basis; or any combination that fits organizational culture, goals, and demands.
Often fulfilling this consequential task can fall to office managers, executive assistants, and admins who are unsure of where to start to carry out successful corporate catering programs that satisfy an array of preferences and priorities in their own workplaces.
In this complete guide to corporate catering, you’ll have everything you need to know to research, implement, and execute a tailored workplace meal program that serves a range of specific requirements for your organization.
Do yourself a favor and bookmark this link now so you can feed your team with ease — whether it’s for your next company event or instituting a comprehensive in-office meal program in 2025!
What Is Corporate Catering and Why Is it Important to My Team?
Corporate catering is a vital part of many of today’s top-performing businesses. It can help convey company culture, enhance employee engagement, and improve talent attraction and retention. In fact, Indeed’s Better Work Awards program reveals 67% of employees are “extremely” or “very happy” at their current jobs when provided with meal programs at work.
Corporate catering plays a large part in boosting team morale, creating a positive impression on clients, fostering networking opportunities, improving employee productivity by providing convenient and consistent meals, and enhancing the experience of meetings and events by offering quality food and services that aligns with your company’s image.
Skilled corporate caterers can help handle these essential details while allowing businesses and their admin staff to focus on other aspects of event planning without worrying about food preparation and service.
What Sets a Corporate Caterer Apart?
Many restaurant and event caterers have strict limitations on budgets and headcounts, not offering the needed flexibility in fluctuating circumstances that modern workplaces require.
Adept corporate caterers are able to navigate these complexities through their mutually respected relationships with local restaurants and chefs, consolidating efforts and removing these hurdles for busy admins.
These valued connections with business owners and culinary entrepreneurs also provide tangible ties to local communities, a feel-good perk for today’s employees who hold their company’s social impact in high regard.
Selecting the Right Corporate Caterer
The first step in planning a successful workplace catering program is choosing the right corporate caterer. Here are a few things to consider:
- Type of Program: Are you looking for corporate catering for a specific company event or are you planning for an ongoing workplace meal solution?
- Budget: What amount of your budget is allocated to in-office catering?
- Menu: What type of food do you want to have available for your employees? Do you have team dietary restrictions to consider?
- Other Considerations: Do you have other aspects to consider, such as hybrid employee schedules, the need for grab-and-go boxed meals, an option for office snacks solutions, or other factors to take into account?
Highly Customizable Corporate Catering Solutions
You may think that corporate catering programs only offer set ways of serving your teams. The truth is, an experienced corporate caterer such as Cater2.me provides clients distinct and varied options through hands-on account managers, putting the control of presenting satisfying in-office meals squarely in your organization’s hands.
Just some of the corporate catering solutions offered by Cater2.me:
- Boxed meals: Personalized grab-and-go lunches and more for busy teams
- Family-style catering: Customizable buffet menus that enhance team interaction
- Group ordering: Meals chosen by your employees from dishes offered by local restaurants
- Managed ordering: Meals selected and managed for your staff by our corporate catering experts
- Food truck catering: Fun and festive office events catered by your city’s top food trucks
Your Path to Corporate Catering Greatness Starts Here
Corporate catering is an effective way to impress your clients, employees, and company partners. By following the tips in this guide, you can plan a successful corporate catering program that everyone will benefit from and consider part of their all-important employee experience.
You may be new to providing your team with meals — but we’re not. Cater2.me was founded in 2010 to transform company culture and cultivate community through shared in-office culinary experiences. Our hands-on personalized customer service will guide you every step of the way of implementing a workplace catering program in your organization — from the initial outreach to one of our corporate catering experts through the actual execution in your office, taking your specific budget, team meal preferences, dietary restrictions, and more into careful account.
As a busy office professional and people manager, let us take one task off of your plate — and put delicious food on it! Connect with one of our corporate catering experts today to learn how you can save time, energy, and money for yourself and your company with professional corporate catering services from Cater2.me.